2017 Canadian Politics Megathread - Sesquicentennial Edition

[Sanctissima]

The best voting system, in my opinion, is one that minimises voter loss. The less voters who are not represented the better. FPTP is terrible in that regard.

Eh, you don't want to go too far down that road, because after a certain point you can end up like Belgium.

Representation isn't always a good thing.

[The Blaatschapen]

The best voting system, in my opinion, is one that minimises voter loss. The less voters who are not represented the better. FPTP is terrible in that regard.

Eh, you don't want to go too far down that road, because after a certain point you can end up like Belgium.

Representation isn't always a good thing.

Okay, I should've said that slightly different. Because the minimal voter loss is 0, which means everything in referendums. Switzerland comes more to mind then.

Not Belgium.

[The Liberated Territories]

Future of the tories:

Option A: put up Bernier for 2019 and come back with a vengeance a la 80s Reform Party

Option B: continue to waste away being humiliated and beaten by "castro was a swell dude" guy and "it's the current year!" Monseur Trudeau

[Geilinor]

Future of the tories:

Option A: put up Bernier for 2019 and come back with a vengeance a la 80s Reform Party

Option B: continue to waste away being humiliated and beaten by "castro was a swell dude" guy and "it's the current year!" Monseur Trudeau

Reform never won an election so both options have the same result.

[Kholdlands]

I am hoping for an new election system as well, it was one of the reasons I was okay with the liberals winning instead of the NDP; the other was that I knew either way NDP or Liberal the damage done by the Cons could start to be cleared up. Anyway, the thing I am worried is going to happen is that the liberals will probably string these promises of reform along so that by the time the next election comes they will be claiming that they are very close to implementing a new system but they need more time. That way they can justify claiming that any change in leadership could threaten that progress they claimed to have made in that department, allowing them to string the voters who wanted this along a second time to secure another term. Sure some maybe upset that it wasn't done in the promised time, but a fear of losing the time already invested and the prospect of election reform still happening soon maybe enough to counteract this. I have also been following it on the Trudeau meter site, it seems to be one of the most talked about promises (by a decent margin too) so the number of people who decided to support Trudeau for that promise is not insignificant (based on this site anyways).

I am a supporter of PR though, happy about that part

[MERIZoC]

Second Tory leadership debate in a few minutes. Bilingual, so it should be interesting.

[Oneracon]

Time for some Trudeau Cabinet Musical Chairs, it's cabinet shuffle time... http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberal ... -1.3928723

Who's moving up from the backbenches?

• François-Philippe Champagne (International Trade): MP for Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC; former Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
• Karina Gould (Democratic Institutions): MP for Burlington, ON; youngest cabinet minister in Canadian history (29)
• Ahmed Hussen (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship): MP for York South—Weston, ON; first Somali-born MP and cabinet minister

Who's moving?

• Chrystia Freeland (from International Trade to Foreign Affairs)
• Patty Hajdu (from Status of Women to Employment, Workforce Development and Labour)
• Maryam Monsef (from Democratic Institutions to Status of Women)

Who's all the way out?

• Stéphane Dion (formerly Foreign Affairs)
• John McCallum (formerly Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship)
• MaryAnn Mihychuk (formerly Employment, Workforce Development and Labour)

McCallum has already accepted an offer to be the new Ambassador to China, and Dion has been offered Ambassador to Germany and the European Union (but hasn't indicated if he'll take it yet). Mihychuk apparently gets zilch.

[The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp]

Daww.

[Oneracon]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/ ... -1.3929794

So apparently Dion is actually retired now, after being shuffled out of cabinet. No mention of him getting any diplomatic appointments either...

[Camicon]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/stephane-dion-politics-career-cabinet-minister-1.3929794

So apparently Dion is actually retired now, after being shuffled out of cabinet. No mention of him getting any diplomatic appointments either...

Rumours were he was offered being the ambassador to the EU or Germany.

[Oneracon]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/stephane-dion-politics-career-cabinet-minister-1.3929794

So apparently Dion is actually retired now, after being shuffled out of cabinet. No mention of him getting any diplomatic appointments either...

Rumours were he was offered being the ambassador to the EU or Germany.

Yeah, but apparently he's not taking them (and Trudeau is denying that those were on the table). Seems like he's leaving for good.

[Camicon]

Rumours were he was offered being the ambassador to the EU or Germany.

Yeah, but apparently he's not taking them (and Trudeau is denying that those were on the table). Seems like he's leaving for good.

I'm sure they were on the table, but rather than anyone having to say that Dion refused - thus spurring pointless speculation as to why - everyone simply agreed to say that no such offer was made.

That said, yes, it appears that Dion has exited the stage.

[South Park Labourite]

http://www.torontosun.com/2017/01/15/wo ... ne-threats
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canad ... ening-tour

The vicious cult of Trudeau.

[The Floridian Republic]

I am quite fond of Canada. I think they would make a pleasant state.

[Bogdanov Vishniac]

http://www.torontosun.com/2017/01/15/woman-who-blasted-trudeau-gets-online-threats
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canad ... ening-tour

The vicious cult of Trudeau.

Shortly after Zack had lit into Trudeau at the London meeting, one of Trudeau’s senior aides came over to where I was sitting. Her name is Zita Astravas. She is the PMO’s director of issues management, which means it’s her job to put out fires or, if she can, prevent fires from starting.

For two days, her guy had taken one pop on the chin after another and it had dawned on me that this is exactly what Trudeau and his handlers had wanted.

“You actually want guys like Zack,” I said to her. “It’s as if you’re saying to them, bring it on!”

Astravas looked at me and smiled. “Yup.”

That’s because Liberals believe that Canadians will be more impressed by the way Trudeau handles interlocutors like Zack than they will be convinced by the substance of any criticism.

Yes, how cult-like. Purposefully seeking out and addressing even harsh criticism on live tv. Just like Jim Jones would do.

As for Katula's case in particular, I don't think it should surprise anyone here that trolls exist on the internet. It sucks and we need to work to stem them but it really has nothing to do with Trudeau.

[Camicon]

I am quite fond of Canada. I think they would make a pleasant state.

"Would make"? We are a state.

[The Floridian Republic]

I am quite fond of Canada. I think they would make a pleasant state.

"Would make"? We are a state.

A U.S. state. i was jesting.

[Thermodolia]

I am quite fond of Canada. I think they would make a pleasant state.

"Would make"? We are a state.

Of the US. They forgot to leave that out.

[Thermodolia]

"Would make"? We are a state.

A U.S. state. i was jesting.

I need a place I can legally run off to when things go south

[South Park Labourite]

http://www.torontosun.com/2017/01/15/woman-who-blasted-trudeau-gets-online-threats
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canad ... ening-tour

The vicious cult of Trudeau.

Shortly after Zack had lit into Trudeau at the London meeting, one of Trudeau’s senior aides came over to where I was sitting. Her name is Zita Astravas. She is the PMO’s director of issues management, which means it’s her job to put out fires or, if she can, prevent fires from starting.

For two days, her guy had taken one pop on the chin after another and it had dawned on me that this is exactly what Trudeau and his handlers had wanted.

“You actually want guys like Zack,” I said to her. “It’s as if you’re saying to them, bring it on!”

Astravas looked at me and smiled. “Yup.”

That’s because Liberals believe that Canadians will be more impressed by the way Trudeau handles interlocutors like Zack than they will be convinced by the substance of any criticism.

Yes, how cult-like. Purposefully seeking out and addressing even harsh criticism on live tv. Just like Jim Jones would do.

As for Katula's case in particular, I don't think it should surprise anyone here that trolls exist on the internet. It sucks and we need to work to stem them but it really has nothing to do with Trudeau.

I'm focusing on his fans, not the man himself. Fans who boo someone for asking a question that dare contradicts the narrative that Trudeau isn't all great and perfect. It isn't good to abandon critical thinking. He's sold weapons to Saudi Arabia, he praised Fidel Castro, he made a holiday visit to private islands condemned by the ethics commissioner, he is not funding federal health transfers well enough, he has failed to stem the decline of oilsands and is worsening them with his carbon pricing strategies, and he has turned his back on indigenous communitiest. Oh yeah, he also has a cash for access scandal. Few left-wingers are like me and are willing to call him out on his crap.

The fact that I'm a pretty moderate social democrat and you proclaim yourself to be an 'anarcho-communist' makes it unusual that you're not the more critical of them all.

[The Floridian Republic]

A U.S. state. i was jesting.

I need a place I can legally run off to when things go south

Is that a pun?

[Bogdanov Vishniac]

I'm focusing on his fans, not the man himself. Fans who boo someone for asking a question that dare contradicts the narrative that Trudeau isn't all great and perfect.

Methinks they were booing the attitude not the question;

“That is totally unacceptable,” Zack continued. “Justin: What are you doing to this country? You are intentionally setting up millions of young Canadians like myself … and for what? Your own moral superiority complex?”

...

So Zack finished.

“My question is this: What, if anything, are you going to do to curb your insane and reckless spending habits?”

It's pretty undeniably hostile.

It isn't good to abandon critical thinking. He's sold weapons to Saudi Arabia, he praised Fidel Castro, he made a holiday visit to private islands condemned by the ethics commissioner, he is not funding federal health transfers well enough, he has failed to stem the decline of oilsands and is worsening them with his carbon pricing strategies, and he has turned his back on indigenous communitiest. Oh yeah, he also has a cash for access scandal. Few left-wingers are like me and are willing to call him out on his crap.

... You're not calling him out on that here though. You're taking a shot at people in the crowd at a townhall meeting for booing a guy who basically heckled the PM. If you'd like to talk about the Saudis or Trans Mountain or whatever that's fine, but I would encourage you to constrain your criticism to things that actually matter. Otherwise it just encourages the perception of us leftists as being embittered and of you being the type of poster that periodically pops their head in to vomit bile all over the thread then scamper off.

The fact that I'm a pretty moderate social democrat and you proclaim yourself to be an 'anarcho-communist' makes it unusual that you're not the more critical of them all.

How do you know how critical I've been?

[Thermodolia]

I need a place I can legally run off to when things go south

Is that a pun?

No

[Shrillland]

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/newsalert-kevin-oleary-run-conservative-124331106.html

This is some kind of joke, right? Tories aren't going to actually vote for him just to shake things up, are they? The object of being Canada is not to make the same dumb mistakes we make next door, I thought.

[Geilinor]

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/newsalert-kevin-oleary-run-conservative-124331106.html

This is some kind of joke, right? Tories aren't going to actually vote for him just to shake things up, are they? The object of being Canada is not to make the same dumb mistakes we make next door, I thought.

I hope Canada doesn't make the same mistake. That would be very bad.